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Paper short abstract:

The longest period of political continuity in Bangladesh’s history ended in 2024 when a student movement became a mass movement, which became a revolution. This paper examines three broad reasons for the revolution: criminal politics, internal party tensions, and a crisis of youth.

Paper long abstract:

The longest period of political continuity in Bangladesh’s history ended in 2024 when a student movement became a mass movement, which became a revolution. This paper examines three broad reasons for the revolution. First, and most fundamentally, the revolution is the result of a contradiction in how the ruling Awami League achieved dominance. Dominance rested on both pervasive criminality underpinning a politicised state and party, but also development legitimising such rule with the public at large. So egregious was the corruption that it undermined development. Second, intra-party dynamics were also crucial. In recent years the Awami League senior leadership had proven themselves unable to deal with this contradiction in failed wars on drugs and corruption. Factional tensions were rife in the aftermath of the 2024 election, and a longer-term erosion of leadership was evident locally with the growth of so-called ‘hybrid’ leaders and business interests. Finally, the revolution was a product of the instability and frustrations of the youth, who face poor job prospects, widespread drug use, politicised educational institutions and failed changes to school curriculum. Indeed, some have called this the world’s first Gen-Z revolution. These factors melded in a period of economic stress, resulting in a revolution that followed a well-worn, almost predictable path. Students protested, opposition parties escalated events, and the violent reaction of the state undermined the Prime Minister and regime’s moral authority, resulting in a mass movement that the military ultimately refused to suppress.